Finland

Finland's center-right National Coalition Party, headed by Petteri Orpo, eked out a narrow victory over a populist party. Sanna Marin's party fell to third ...

This is clear." Finnish women defended her right to cut loose, posting their own videos of dancing and drinking across social media. "We cannot accept this terrible war. And Marin's party, the center-left Social Democrats (SDP), garnered just 19.9%. More than 2,400 candidates across 22 parties ran for a seat in Finland's parliament, [according to a tally by the Associated Press.](https://apnews.com/article/finland-parliamentary-election-sanna-marin-494e6d181a21e6f4cda00524e2468e4a)

Finland's main conservative party claimed victory in parliamentary elections Sunday in a tight three-way race that saw right-wing populists take second ...

NCP is open to cooperation with The Finns as the two parties largely share view on developing Finland’s economy though have differences in climate policies and EU issues. With the top three parties each getting around 20 per cent of the vote, no party is in position to form a government alone. The government will replace the center-left Cabinet by Marin, a highly popular prime minister at home and abroad since 2019. The centre-right National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory with all of the votes counted, coming out on top at 20.8 per cent. We build up NATO-Finland, and we fix our economy. It’s that we are an active member of the European Union.

Finland's left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat on Sunday in the Nordic country's parliamentary election as the opposition right-wing ...

It also calls for austerity policies to curb deficit spending, a stance it shares with the NCP. That's an excellent achievement, even if we did not finish first today," the prime minister said in a speech to party members. The NCP has led in polls for almost two years although its lead had melted away in recent months.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday Finland will become the 31st member of the world's biggest military alliance on Tuesday, ...

For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATO’s support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression. Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland’s membership, will hand its official texts to U.S. The former Norwegian prime minister said that on Tuesday afternoon, “we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters.

HELSINKI — Finland's main conservative party claimed victory in a parliamentary election Sunday in an extremely tight three-way race in which right-wing ...

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'We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters,' says alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg.

State Department in Brussels on Tuesday” before the start of NATO foreign ministers’ session. The alliance “remains vigilant, we monitor very closely what Russia does,” he said. Her Social Democrats finished third, with the center-right National Coalition Party coming out on top. “This is an historic week,” the NATO chief told reporters. “We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters,” Stoltenberg said, adding: “It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole.” “Tomorrow, we will welcome Finland as the 31st member of NATO, making Finland safer and our alliance stronger.”

Sanna Marin made headlines for her social media posts and selfies. She drew in young voters but also drew plenty of criticism.

All that international fame as head of a five-party cabinet led solely by women wasn’t enough to secure her a victory at home. “People like her for being a successful international leader but at the same time they might not be in favor of her politics,” Poyry said. Marin made global headlines for her social media posts of her dancing and selfies.

The country, which shares a border with Russia, applied to join the military alliance in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine last year.

"It is a historic moment for us. "We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters. [Turkey](https://news.sky.com/topic/turkey-5859) was the last of NATO's 30 members to accept Finland's application - which ends the country's decades of military non-alignment. [Russia](https://news.sky.com/topic/russia-5803), applied to join the military alliance in the wake of [Vladimir Putin's](https://news.sky.com/topic/vladimir-putin-5972) invasion of [Ukraine](https://news.sky.com/topic/ukraine-6556) last year. "In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia's military security." The country, which shares a border with Russia, applied to join the military alliance in the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine last year.

The National Coalition Party (NCP) secured 48 of 200 parliamentary seats versus 43 for the Social Democrats, with the anti-immigration Finns Party securing ...

As a high-profile Social Democrat, she earned widespread praise over the past four years for her handling of the pandemic and adept response to the Ukraine crisis, including Finland’s dramatic [pivot toward NATO](https://www.politico.eu/article/finland-join-nato-memeber-turkey-parliament-vote/). “Our message has got through, the support is there, and Finns believe in the National Coalition Party.” If Orpo turns to the Finns Party and its leader Riikka Purra, they are likely to face differences over immigration policy. For a potential tie-up with the Social Democrats, a compromise would have to be met between the two sides’ sharply different strategies on economic policy. Swedish Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson failed to secure a second term in elections last fall, while Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen only won reelection in November after a series of sharp-right policy turns. Orpo must now decide with whom to team up as the basis for a majority coalition — although all options entail a challenge.

Finland will officially become a member of the military alliance on Tuesday (4 April) as foreign ministers gather for their meeting in Brussels, ...

“We should not leave the impression Sweden is left alone”, the secretary-general said about it already participating in most of the Alliance’s meetings. “All allies agree that Sweden’s accession will have to be completed quickly”, Stoltenberg said. “They’ve trained and built a large army and maintained a high level of readiness”. “We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters. Then, he will “notify Finland”. Finland and Sweden jointly applied for NATO membership in May 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Finland will deposit its accession documents to the United States government at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, April 4th, ahead of the NATO foreign ...

Overall, Finland's accession to NATO is a significant development for the country and the region. As a member of NATO, Finland will have access to the alliance's defense capabilities, intelligence, and resources. However, the government has emphasized that Finland will remain an independent and non-aligned country, and that joining NATO is a natural step in ensuring its security and defense.

HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish voters have given a boost to conservative parties in a weekend election, depriving left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin of ano...

Increasing spending on defense while facing pressure to cut welfare spending will be a balancing act for the new government, he said. Marin’s defeat is the latest setback for the left amid a larger shift to conservative and nationalist parties across Europe in recent times. Finnish media touted the The Finns, which ran on an anti-immigration and anti-EU agenda, as the biggest winner of the election. Meanwhile Spain’s left-wing government is under pressure, with the right-wing Popular Party and far-right Vox party ahead as the country heads to a vote in December. The right-wing populist party The Finns won 20.1% and Marin’s Social Democrats 19.9%. But Sunday’s election was largely fought over economic issues, with voters in the nation of 5.5 million people shifting their allegiances significantly to parties on the political right as they seek solutions to rising state debt, inflation and other economic problems.

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday Finland will become the 31st member of the world's biggest military alliance on Tuesday ...

“Sweden is not left alone. “In case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland, we will take addition steps to ensure Russia’s military security.” “We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.” Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland’s membership, will hand its official texts to U.S. The former Norwegian prime minister said that on Tuesday afternoon, “we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters. “This is a historic week,” Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

Moscow threatens to bolster border defences if western military alliance deploys troops inside Finland.

“In case of deployment of forces of other Nato members on the territory of Finland, we will take addition steps to ensure Russia’s military security.” “We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.” It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for Nato as a whole.” “From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance.” He said he hoped Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same. “It is a historic moment for us.

Finland to become 31st member of world's biggest military alliance, prompting a warning from Russia. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a ...

“In case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland, we will take addition steps to ensure Russia’s military security.” Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two countries, notably on tackling groups it considers “terrorist” organisations. The former Norwegian prime minister said that on Tuesday afternoon that “we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters. “From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance.” We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.” Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year pushed Finland and its neighbour Sweden to apply for NATO membership.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said last year that Russia was taking “adequate countermeasures” and would form 12 units and divisions in its western military district. He also stressed that NATO and Swedish officials were already working to bring Sweden closer to the alliance even as they wait for membership to be finalized. “We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Finland will officially join the military alliance on Tuesday. The green light comes days after Turkey's ...

The Turkish government has accused Sweden of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organizations. Finland and neighboring Sweden jointly applied for NATO membership in May 2022. The United States is the depositary, or safekeeper, of NATO under the alliance’s 1949 founding treaty.

Finland's probable new conservative prime minister, Petteri Orpo, will this week start exploring coalition options after a narrow election win that shifted ...

The cost of living is also expected to be a key issue among voters in Spanish and Polish elections later this year. “It is clear that if a right-leaning coalition is achieved, there will be some very disappointed people among Finns party voters,” the paper said. Support for Ukraine in Finland - which shares a 1,300km (805-mile) border with Russia – is almost universal, and Orpo made a point on Sunday night of saying Helsinki would continue to stand by Kyiv during his tenure. “It’s not impossible, but the Social Democrats will have to eat humble pie.” “Both have red lines that will be tough to reconcile,” said Dr Emilia Palonen, a political scientist at the University of Helsinki. The Finns party, too, may think twice about joining a government coalition if it means abandoning some of its key election pledges. The biggest party traditionally gets the first chance to form a government, and since the 1990s has always claimed the prime minister’s office. The NCP backs selective, work-based immigration to help fill job vacancies and boost growth. Orpo, 53 and an MP since 2007, will later this week send a questionnaire to all party leaders asking for their positions on key policy issues before beginning talks with those seen as the most probable partners. It was a win,” Orpo told cheering supporters in Helsinki late on Sunday night, adding that the result gave the NCP “a strong mandate” to pursue its key policies of “fixing our economy, boosting growth, and creating new jobs”. He is thought likely to turn first to the Finns, whose leader, Riikka Purra, hailed her party’s “best election result ever”. However, the NCP increased its number of MPs by 10, while the Finns party, which back spending cuts but campaigned mainly against non-EU immigration, added seven more.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to hold talks with Belarus' leader Alexander Lukashenko. Battle-watchers are eyeing Bakhmut after Russia's Wagner Group ...

[past recaps here](https://www.npr.org/series/1084620843/russia-ukraine-recap). [A rehab center revives traumatized Ukrainian troops](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1166441588/russia-ukraine-war-ukrainian-soldiers-rehab) before their return to battle. Moscow [blamed Russian opposition](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/04/03/world/russia-ukraine-war/a-woman-is-arrested-in-connection-with-the-killing-of-a-prominent-russian-blogger?smid=url-share) activists and Ukraine. [Evan Gershkovich](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1166984608/russia-detains-wall-street-journal-reporter-accuse-espionage), drawing condemnation from the U.S. Ukraine denied and [mocked claims](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-zelenskiy-situation-bakhmut-especially-hot-2023-04-02/) by Russia's Wagner Group of mercenaries that they captured the city and raised a Russian flag on an administrative building there. [killed by an explosion](https://www.npr.org/2023/04/02/1167675096/explosion-russia-pro-war-military-blogger-ukraine) in a St. [Sweden applied jointly](https://www.npr.org/2022/05/15/1099003708/ukraine-war-finland-sweden-nato) with Finland, alarmed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the Swedes are still waiting for approval from both Hungary and Turkey. [crucial role in the Russia-Ukraine war](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/21/1164977056/a-chinese-drone-for-hobbyists-plays-a-crucial-role-in-the-russia-ukraine-war). [dollar in Ukraine](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1167044819/the-cost-of-a-dollar-in-ukraine). [Ukrainian troops to be sent to the front](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/27/1164935413/russia-ukraine-war-foreign-veterans-train-ukrainian-soldiers). [what Russia left in its wake](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1167185936/doctors-without-borders-in-ukraine-reports-on-what-russia-left-in-its-wake). [arrest of a Wall Street Journal reporter](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1166984608/russia-detains-wall-street-journal-reporter-accuse-espionage).

The flag of Finland will be run up the flagpole at NATO headquarters on Tuesday, marking a history-making but bittersweet moment for the alliance — which ...

During a protest in January in Stockholm, an effigy of Erdogan was hung upside down on a lamppost and a Koran was torched. "Sweden has implemented stronger legislation on the fight against terrorism. "Turkey has some legitimate security concerns and all allies should address them," he said. Jens Stoltenberg at a media availability Monday ahead of the meeting. The ceremony will take place ahead of a regularly scheduled meeting of alliance foreign ministers. Foreign ministers or representatives of Australia, New Zealand and South Korea will be present, said NATO Sec.

Does an international post await Finland's outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin after her election loss? What explains the nationalist party's record score?

And are the nationalists reliable partners for a government coalition? They can sense what the emerging concerns are," Jutila said. A "blue-red" government with SDP and the National Coalition -- not uncommon in Finland -- would be easier for smaller parties to join. While SDP is a "tried and tested" partner, the Finns Party could be "unpredictable," Majander said, noting that its voter base could have a hard time accepting budget austerity. What explains the nationalist party's record score? While the Finns Party is closer to the centrer-right when it comes to economics — the most important election issue for Orpo — allying with the far-right would make it harder to find other parties to build a majority.

Finland swaps partying Sanna Marin for prudent Petteri Orpo as economic fears grow. TOPSHOT-FINLAND-POLITICS-VOTE. The ...

Orpo said he could rebuild unity in the party and take it back to power, and handily beat Stubb in a party vote. He set about rebuilding its standing as a traditional center-right economic alternative that was willing to cut public spending and limit tax increases. He is married with two children, and profiles of him [suggest](https://svenska.yle.fi/a/7-1083665) his hobbies include cooking and fishing. If he is able to pull off a deal satisfying both the conservative and liberal wings of the NCP, that would be a solid early achievement, observers say. He played on deeply rooted (if mundane) Finnish fears about rising government debt and offered concrete (if workaday) solutions, such as cuts to public services. Marin, a popular personality on the left of EU politics, found herself in hot water last year after a video emerged of her

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year pushed Finland and its neighbour Sweden to apply for NATO membership.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said last year that Russia was taking “adequate countermeasures” and would form 12 units and divisions in its western military district. He also stressed that NATO and Swedish officials were already working to bring Sweden closer to the alliance even as they wait for membership to be finalized. “We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters.

For the Finnish military, membership is a culmination of years of ever-closer cooperation, with gear used by the defense forces already compatible with that of ...

Finland then tiptoed through an era of neutrality during the Cold War — by necessity, not by choice — cowering to Moscow while retaining independence in a policy that came to be known as Finlandization. For NATO, Finland’s ratification marks one of the swiftest accessions in history, sealing membership in less than a year since the two Nordic countries applied last May. The Finnish entry is set to enable the bloc to further secure the area around the Baltic Sea in defense of its members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are often seen as potential targets of Russian aggression. North Macedonia was last to join the alliance, a process that took two decades. Finland’s addition will bring NATO more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of border with Russia, doubling its eastern flank, and a nation that’s already prepared to defend itself in case of an all-out war. NATO foreign minister will mark the accession with a flag-raising ceremony in Brussels later Tuesday.

Finland is set to officially become a member of NATO later on Tuesday and take its place among the ranks of the world's biggest security alliance.

A federal jury in San Francisco on Monday ordered Tesla Inc. Nearly 43,000 people died in U.S. [Autos](https://www.ctvnews.ca/autos) [Distraction, speeding, alcohol drive up 2021 U.S. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown will receive the U.S. [Lifestyle](https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle) [Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to receive Ms. Disney CEO Bob Iger on Monday said any retaliatory actions by Florida Gov. Russia's UN ambassador on Monday dismissed U.S. One person died and some 30 passengers were injured, many of them seriously. [World](https://www.ctvnews.ca/world) [Donald Trump is heading to court. The move is a strategic and political blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long complained about NATO's expansion toward Russia. Neighbouring Sweden also applied, but its accession process may take a few months longer. It also coincides with a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers.

The Finnish flag is due to be raised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, to mark Russia's western neighbour becoming the 31st member of the Western alliance.

Jens Stoltenberg said Nato had not yet seen any changes to Russia's nuclear posture that would require any change by the alliance. Some Belarusian fighter jets were also capable of carrying nuclear weapons, he said. They had previously both adopted a policy of non-alignment. "President Putin had a declared goal of the invasion of Nato to get less Nato along its borders and no more membership in Europe, he's getting exactly the opposite." Mr Stoltenberg said Nato would ensure Sweden would become the next member to join. The Finnish flag is due to be raised at Nato headquarters in Brussels, as Russia's western neighbour becomes the 31st member of the Western alliance.

The leader of the conservative National Coalition party (NCP), Petteri Orpo, is likely to be the next prime minister. And while it is possible that he will ...

“There are 10 parties in the Finnish parliament now; there are 13 in the Netherlands,” says Henley. At the same time, classic centre-left parties are seeing their vote share hold up above disastrous levels, “but that has to be put in the context of where they were a decade ago”, says Henley. “After the pandemic and the war, the economy has come back to the forefront,” says Henley. “But the crucial question about the direction of his government is who he goes into coalition with.” It’s about post-pandemic worry and the economy trumping everything else.” While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a huge issue in Finland – and the reason behind its new membership of Nato – it was not a point of disagreement in the election. “Whichever way Orpo turns, forming a government is going to be tricky,” says Henley. [increased its vote share and number of MPs](https://ablink.editorial.theguardian.com/ss/c/anB5BDNDuHMZ3XJHP1YCbtqgiIEaDNS-MUSN1b6S6GrnOk2ItE2kri4TPc3sVWAbpZw72wJlfWBWWWWQlK-7uE4vh2zLg6S0KHbzJCOq8SonVXHxbGRhF_vWxZelCbCeNVK99QdcXI-b9h0fQjHsIAH51OeNtZ3bDNG_mds1URKAzv17QOwS2sII_K5C5MEgfYFri9nmtdNXOa42LCbFuqI_kzhR-h9k9ug4DNObodzz9h2D4ZtLsVb4yxPUqGA6/3v2/Akj6wBtzRray9fKkkv0MIg/h44/-YlXsYqWWHdJozZj6Kc6AO846LI36xTz7EfJEBCBbVw). The 53-year-old has led the NCP since 2016, was deputy prime minister between 2017 and 2019, and has held several government ministries, winning praise for his handling of a tenfold increase in asylum seeker arrivals in 2015. “It made her fans more enthusiastic, and her enemies more critical,” says Jon Henley, the Guardian’s Europe correspondent. The leader of the conservative National Coalition party (NCP), Petteri Orpo, is likely to be the next prime minister. [in Finland this century](https://ablink.editorial.theguardian.com/ss/c/H-OBEvjgYS-9yWUKxZaRp2XzjHIRu3DBOiyxgtg_8W3jl9eWLGSNErpItzcp5qTvIhocIy998gav3xCPpWXl4YtiImEp9fXYsoZP3C4KCLQWAo7xtqGJpwX7GjKaym6T58CECZ1R82VaAyyVV0Z6nE8i8Jj1SQfFUl1HQ-0e07FX5PVCnWKXaTAoZ3djPRCQgdOUBjWq3WFY3DahT8XNVQ/3v2/Akj6wBtzRray9fKkkv0MIg/h41/YNpqh-r15gg1-izQKdAjF0X0sWrG-xlhV6hWeO9mOQc).

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is set to welcome Finland as its 31st member on Tuesday, marking a major shift in the security landscape in ...

“At the same time we celebrate and enjoy that Finland is now a full-fledged member, we should continue work to finalize the Swedish accession process.” It’s been a cornerstone of the 30-member alliance since it was founded in 1949 as a counterweight to the Soviet Union. “People’s mindset in Finland, also in Sweden, changed and shifted very dramatically.” “Everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine,” outgoing Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said last April. NATO has an open-door policy, meaning that any country can be invited to join if it expresses an interest, as long as it is able and willing to uphold the principles of the alliance’s founding treaty. An overwhelming majority of NATO members welcomed Finland and Sweden’s applications, but two countries – Turkey and Hungary – began to stall the process. Finland’s accession comes days after Turkey’s parliament voted to ratify the country’s membership, clearing the final hurdle for the country to join NATO and putting an end to months of delays. On the eve of Tuesday’s ceremony, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg heralded the raising of the Finnish flag for the first time at the alliance’s headquarters in Belgium, saying “it will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole.” The Wilson Center report also noted Finland’s strong cyber security record, pointing out the country is home to Nokia, “a major provider of 5G infrastructure,” and one of three major providers of 5G infrastructure the world, along with Sweden’s Ericsson and China’s Huawei. Finland’s NATO membership guarantees the Northern European nation access to the resources of the entire alliance in the event of attack. [ warned ](https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/12/europe/putin-finland-sweden-nato-backfire-cmd-intl/index.html)that further NATO expansion will not bring more stability to Europe, and on Monday said it would scale up forces near Finland if the alliance sent any troops or equipment to the new member country. [Finland](https://cnn.com/2023/03/30/europe/turkey-vote-finland-nato-membership-intl/index.html) as its 31st [member ](https://www.nato.int/nato-welcome/index.html)on Tuesday, marking a major shift in the security landscape in northeastern Europe that adds [some 1,300 kilometers (830 miles](https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/29/europe/nato-sweden-finland-summit-explainer-intl/index.html)) to the alliance’s frontier with Russia.

Finland is poised to join NATO on Tuesday, a historic realignment brought on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the head of the military alliance said it ...

[Lifestyle](https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle) [Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to receive Ms. [Autos](https://www.ctvnews.ca/autos) [Distraction, speeding, alcohol drive up 2021 U.S. [Business](https://www.ctvnews.ca/business) [China seethes as U.S. [World](https://www.ctvnews.ca/world) [Donald Trump is heading to court. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown will receive the U.S. employment situation ahead of the Federal Reserve's next meeting. [Donald Trump is heading to court. State Department is the repository of NATO texts concerning membership. Turkey became the last NATO member country to ratify Finland's membership protocol on Thursday. It also coincides with a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers. "We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest," Grushko said, according to state RIA Novosti news agency. The move is a strategic and political blow to President Vladimir Putin, who has long complained about NATO's expansion toward Russia.

NATO Day is commemorated in capitals across the Alliance every year on 4 April, the anniversary of the signing of NATO's founding document, the Washington ...

In Brussels, the anniversary is being marked at several monuments throughout the city. In London, even Larry, the Cabinet Cat at 10 Downing Street, is celebrating by wearing a “We are NATO” collar. NATO Day 2023 is particularly historic, with Finland set to become the thirty-first member of the Alliance.

Finland is joining NATO on Tuesday, becoming the 31st member in the world's biggest security alliance in a historic realignment brought on by Russia's ...

"We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest," Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Monday, according to state RIA Novosti news agency. State Department is the repository of NATO texts concerning membership. "President Putin had as a declared goal of the invasion of Ukraine to get less NATO," Stoltenberg said. "Today, as Finland's flag will fly over NATO headquarters for the first time, we stand more united than ever," she said. Last week, Turkey became the last NATO member country to ratify Finland's membership protocol. It also coincides with a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers.

NATO's blue and white flags are fluttering against the backdrop of Helsinki's deep blue sky as Finland is on the cusp of its historic entry into NATO.

It also coincides with a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers. Finland has never been militarily aligned before in its history,” said Juhana Aunesluoma, professor of political history at the University of Helsinki. People showed up Tuesday to take pictures and selfies of the NATO flags, the only visual symbol so far of the historic shift taking place.

Authorities in Helsinki decided that in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Feb. · Finland shares an 832-mile border with Russia, the longest ...

Today, Finland officially became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), marking the end of its era of military non-alignment.

As a NATO member, Finland will need readiness for change and adaptability. The accession of Finland to NATO is a setback for Russia's Vladimir Putin, who had repeatedly complained of NATO's expansion before his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Finland shares a 1,340-km (832-mile) eastern frontier with Russia and formally applied to join NATO last May because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Finland joined the NATO military alliance Tuesday, dealing a major blow to Russia with a historic realignment of the continent triggered by Moscow's ...

Finland is poised to join NATO on Tuesday, a historic realignment triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the head of the military alliance said no ...

BRUSSELS — Finland formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday, becoming its 31st member on the same day as NATO's 74th anniversary.